Govt kickstarts Budget-making exercise; health outlay may get 50% boost

FY22 infrastructure allocation also likely to see significant increase

As the government kickstarts the Budget exercise for 2021-22 under unusual circumstances and stressed revenue position, health and infrastructure sectors are set to be in focus. 

The outlay for health, including vaccine expense, is expected to be at least 50 per cent higher than FY20-21’s allocation of Rs 67,111 crore. Outlay for infra is also expected to see a significant increase in view of the government’s Rs 111-trillion investment plan under the national infrastructure pipeline to develop social and economic infrastructure over five years, starting this year.

“The Budget will not be a constraint as far as the vaccine is